


Joker's Painful Fake Memories

by godlessAdversary



Series: Persona 5 random ideas [2]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Human Trafficking, Hurt/Comfort, Mental Health Issues, Nightmares, Nudity, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Rape, Ren needs therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:08:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25677856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/godlessAdversary/pseuds/godlessAdversary
Summary: There’s many bad endings in Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal, but most of those bad endings are the result of Ren misremembering stuff. What happens if Ren still saw those fake memories and he remembers them after the end of the story?Ren has been suffering from nightmares and unwanted thoughts for some time, and Makoto is noticing he is in great pain.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto
Series: Persona 5 random ideas [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1857448
Kudos: 22





	Joker's Painful Fake Memories

**Author's Note:**

> There's spoilers about Persona 5 Royal.

This is one of those nights the nightmares return, and Ren wants them to stop.

_ A young Makoto Niijima is walking to Shujin, and then she is pulled to an alley and drugged with chloroform. She is awoken at a dark place and around her are many shady figures. Her clothes are shredded and they all take turns doing unspeakable things to her. She is crying and shouting a name. _

_ “Ren!” _

_ She is beaten down and the shady figures continue raping her. When they are done, there’s a frail teenage girl with a black eye and many injuries, and she keeps crying for help. _

_ “Ren… Sister…” _

_ It has only been a day and the girl is drugged and forced to prostitute herself on the streets. She is arrested by police men and sent to a local jail. Her big sister arrives to rescue her, and she is crying. _

_ The police have a suspect: Ren Amamiya, the guy whose name has been repeated over and over by Makoto Niijima. _

_ “Ren… save me…” _

“Aaaaahhhh!!!!” Ren wakes up screaming.

“Ren, is something wrong?” Makoto asks him.

Ren and Makoto are naked and resting in the same bed. The two have been sharing an apartment after Ren applied to college and wanted to continue his relationship with Makoto after their legendary roadtrip a few years ago.

“I-I just had a nightmare.”

“What was it about?”

“N-nothing important. Just-Just something from a scary movie.”

Makoto knew Ren was lying. This was the fourth time this month that Ren has been screaming in the middle of the night.

“Ren, you can tell me.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Ren, you have been having this nightmares and-”

“I can’t! I can’t!”

Ren began crying, and Makoto hugged him and caressed his head.

“What is it, Ren?”

“I-I…”

Ren felt his throat was in pain from so much crying.

“Was it about your arrest? Your second arrest? Akechi’s death? Maruki’s fake reali-”

“I keep seeing you and everyone suffering!”

“What?”

“I don’t know what they injected me… but…”

Ren cried again and Makoto continued to hug him.

“Sae told me they injected you with a strong dose of a memory serum. It was inhumane what they did to you.”

“I kept seeing fake memories…”

“Fake memories?”

“Fake memories were we failed at every mission before my arrest. They were obviously fake, but they were too real… in one Kamoshida gets away with his crimes, in other Haru is sent to that bastard with the stupid face, and in other…”

_ “Ren, save me!” _

Ren’s breathing becomes difficult.

“I want these thoughts to stop!”

“Ren, are those thoughts about me?”

Ren sees Makoto’s face with tears and shame.

“Were those fake memories about something bad happening to me?”

Makoto held Joker’s hands.

“Ren, you saved me. This is the real me and I am here. I know that I was close to being one of the many women that become victims of human trafficking, and we even heard Kaneshiro say he wanted to make my sister a sex slave, for god’s sake! I know what it feels like to think about horrible ‘what ifs’, and I have suffered from nightmares too.”

Makoto looked directly at Ren’s teary eyes. She was beginning to cry too.

“I was scared for weeks, dumbas!” said Makoto with a teary face. “Do you really think I could sleep well knowing those mobsters could kidnap me or any of you at any time? Even when we revealed to Eiko the truth about her scumbag ex-boyfriend I was still terrified about this horrible stuff that keeps happening.”

“I am so sorry, Mako.”

“We weren’t a couple back then, so you couldn’t see me when I cried on my own room, but I guess I got better after taking some therapy. I mean, after the situation with Maruki I went to get another therapist of course.”

Makoto looked down with guilt in her eyes.

“The one that should be apologizing, should be me, Ren.”

“Huh?”

“I was the one that made the plan to defeat Akechi, and you accepted my plan without questioning it.”

“I did it because I believe in you.”

“You idiot! Why do you say such cute stuff when I am serious! I am crying as much as you now!”

The two just laughed and cried, and then stayed in silence for a few seconds.

“Should I get therapy?” asked Ren.

“Only if you want. I suggest you do, though.”

Makoto kissed Ren’s forehead.

“Ren, this is real. You saved me many times, and I want to return the favor. I want to marry you, and have a family with you. I love you, Ren.”

“I love you Makoto.”

After that night Ren began going to therapy with a psychiatrist Sae and Makoto recommended. It took some times, and Ren still has nightmares sometimes, but he is learning to let go and cope better with his depression.

This is the real reality where Ren suffered so much, the one where he defeated an evil god, and the one he defended against Maruki’s saccharine fake reality.

This is also the reality where he marries Makoto and has two children with her.


End file.
